The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-01-09


themore modest love of country of an
American Mormon, whose great grand
fathers were also Americans, to pale in
contrast. Unfortunately the Mormon
people are in a situation that invites
the insults of the cowardly; as the
manned lion must suffer in patience
the taunts of the jackall, until such
time as his improved condition shall
entitle him to respect, so Mormons
must bear philosophically the base and
baseless accusations of the craven,
until the hour that their worth shall be
universally recognized. If accusation
without proof is to be sufficient to fasten
crimes upon us; if, being slain, we are
branded as murderers; if, erring on the
side of inaction, for fear that the breath
of suspicion may touch u.s. We are ae
cused of arson, then, indeed, is there no
redress. The course of history has pro-
duced many men, for time despised
and ridiouled, prosecuted and punished
becauseathey were not understood, yet,
wholived to see the principle they upheld
triumphant, and themselves honored.
The experience of mankind finds ex-
preston in the statement that prophet
is not without honor save in his own
country, and, we may add. except in
his own day.
To pursue intelIigently the inquiry as
to the Americanism of the Mormon be-
lief and practice, it is necessary to in
quire into the nature of our govern
ment. Every constitutional nation
should occasionally go back to first
principles, it was said by distinguished
philosopher. in order that these abuses
may be reformed which are the certain
outgroWth of time. 1t would be faulty
in a citizen of the United States to
maintain that during our century of
existence, no erroneous ideas have re-
ceived practical adoption into the law
or found their way among the people.
The Constitution was ordained to Sc
cure the blessings of liberty to our fore
fathers and their posterity it was the
offspring of long war waged to assert
the principle that governments are in
stituted among men to secure to them
the inalienable rights of life, iber,y and
the pursuit of happiness. The Republic
become the asylum for the oppressed
of all nations. All men found here
soil upon which they might worship
God and seek happiness in any manner
they saw fit, so long as they did not
trench upon the rights of otheIs. Citi-
zens of the United States are to be re-
strained only when they shall break out
in overt acts against the public peace
or welfare. Applying these rules to
the Mormon people, we see that in
worshiping God as they please and
seeking the happiness that comes from
so doing, they are enjoying the legili-
mate fruits of the Constitution, the
Identical advantages for which our
forefathers bled, and it is only SO far as
they commit overt acts against the we'll
fare of society that they are open to the
charge of being un-American. So far,
then, as concerns their unity, their
obedience to counsel, if you please; their
belief in continuous revelation, their
primary allegiance to what they believe
to be the will of God, they are unmis-
takably American, since in neither re-
do nIafa To-
upon the rights of others; they enjoy
Simply the Inheritance of freedom.
If within heir practice there may be
found any particular in which they
commit overt acts against the peace or
good order of society; If in any respects
they rob others of their rights, to that
extent, and to that extent only, are
they open to the charge of being I'M
American.
The mind at once adverts to polyg-
amy, that one feature of Mormon prac-
tice which is enjoined by law. Laws
being occasionally unconstitutional. it
does not follow that an action is in
furious because it may be placed under
statutory ban. 1t was the belief of the
people of Utah that the Supreme Court I
would pronounce the law of 1862, pro-
hibiting polygamy, to be unconstitu-
tional. The Court, however, took the
other view, and the law was confirmed |
The Supreme Court has shown that it
may change its views, by reversing its
own decisions in other cases; and it
stands to reason, that being q human
tribunal, it cannot arrogate infalli-
bility, and, therefore, an action may
still be innocuous, if forbidden by a lazy
pronounced to be constitutional.
While it is not believed that law
makers and courts will unite often in
pronouncing an innocent act to be in
furious, yet 1t is the belief of the Nor
mon people that in this case, at least,
such an anomaly exists.